Research Assistant - CEP Urban

Location: Greater London

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Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) Research Assistant (Pre-Doc) Salary

£36,513 to £41,565 per annum inclusive of London allowance.

Employment Terms

Fixed‑term appointment for one or two years depending on the candidate’s preference.

Position Overview

The Centre for Economic Performance seeks to appoint one or two full‑time research assistants (“pre‑docs”) under the direction of Professor Daniel Sturm, Dr. Sara Bagagli, and Dr. Giorgio Pietrabissa. You will be part of a team including other research assistants and collaborators. Research projects will explore new aspects of the economics of cities using newly developed quantitative models and data from Denmark and other countries.

The position is ideal for someone who is considering applying to a PhD in Economics or related fields and would like hands‑on research experience before embarking on a PhD. Previous holders of similar posts with Daniel Sturm have been offered positions in leading Economics PhD programmes, including Berkeley, Chicago, Columbia, San Diego, LSE, Michigan, Northwestern, Stanford, UCLA, and Yale.

Essential Qualifications

• Undergraduate or master’s degree in economics or another quantitative discipline by the start date.
• Advanced experience of using programming languages such as STATA and R for analysing large‑scale micro data sets and the ability to learn new programming skills.
• Ability to perform data work requiring great accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to interpret and analyse patterns or trends in data and think through economic problems analytically.
• Ability to work independently, without close supervision.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience of working with ArcGIS or QGIS.
• Knowledge of and interest in urban economics, economic geography and applied microeconomics.
• Experience of execution and write‑up of independent research projects such as an undergraduate or master’s thesis.

Start Date

The start date will be agreed with the successful candidate but should be in the summer or early fall of 2026.

Application Information

For further information about the post, please see the how to apply document, job description, and the person specification.

Applications must include a CV, a covering letter that explains the candidate’s qualification and motivation for the position, and scans of all university transcripts. Referees will only be contacted if your application progresses to the final stages of the selection process.

For candidates who do not already have the right to work in the UK, LSE is able to support the visa application.

Candidates who are shortlisted will be given an online coding and data analysis problem that can be completed in STATA or R to assess their suitability. Interviews will be in person where possible and on Zoom otherwise.

Should you have any queries about the role, please email Daniel Sturm at

Closing Date

The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 30 January 2026 (23:59 UK time). Regrettably, we are unable to accept any late applications.

Seniority level

Internship

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Research, Analyst, and Information Technology

Industries

Higher Education

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